


Anatomy of a Love Potion

by TheBoneMandala



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, aka farmer's def using cheats, farmer is a witch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 05:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16111442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBoneMandala/pseuds/TheBoneMandala
Summary: The city is suffocating. Suffocating to the point that Minnie finally decides to take over her estranged grandfather’s farm despite the rest of her family’s wishes. It’s been years since she’s actually been to the Valley but small towns often hold promise for lost souls in search of new beginnings, and what kind of witch would she be to pass up that opportunity?





	Anatomy of a Love Potion

           She considers it a miracle when she sees the bustling energy of the city fade into a sea of trees and lush grass; her chest lightening with every mile she puts between herself and Zuzu. The rolling green hills become a comfort she hadn’t known she needed and while she’s thankful for the familiarity, she surprised that not that much has changed in the past XX years. She’s sure if she watches the road close enough, she can pick out landmarks before they even appear. She can even vaguely remember the town if she thinks back far enough but her thoughts are completely occupied by her anticipation towards seeing the farm.

           Her grandfather’s death had been sudden and unexpected, though she suspects her parents knew about his worsening condition and never told her to keep her from worrying. It was the single worse phone call she’d ever received. She, somehow, managed through the funeral with grace and composure, making it her job to be there for her younger brother. Her grandfather had left most everything to her parents, as everyone expected, but she never expected to be handed a letter leaving her with sole ownership of the family farm.

           She was hesitant at first. Of course, abandoning the stress of city life and living out her days on a farm in a quaint town sounded like a dream come true but her job, as much as she hated it, paid her exceedingly well. And that money went straight to her family. The decision to give that up followed her around for weeks, haunting her as if it was an angry spirit.

           It was her mother, with her infinite wisdom and always reassuring voice, who convinced her to leave.

           Quitting Joja was surprisingly easier than she thought it’d be with little to no complaints from the higher-ups and within hours of walking out of her office doors at Joja’s corporate HQ, she was watching a sign pass that read “STARDEW VALLEY 0.5 mi.”.

           When she finally arrives, she steps off the bus and inhales deeply; it’s been so long since  _fresh_  air has filled her lungs. She takes a moment, as the bus pulls away, to take in her new surroundings. Her new  _home_. A soft breeze carries sounds from the nearby town leaving an excited curiosity to settle in her chest. Birds whistle above her head as they pass, and the sun’s rays shine down on her to warm her face.

           It’s remarkable how the Valley even  _feels_  the same.

           “Hello! You must be Minerva.” There’s a redheaded woman suddenly in front of her wearing a wide smile, “I’m Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home.” Minnie recalls Mayor Lewis from her grandfather’s letter and slightly more from her childhood visits. “He’s there right now,” Robin speaks just before Minnie does, “he’s tidying things for your arrival. The farm’s right over here, if you’ll follow me.” Robin doesn’t give her time to respond as she turns on her heels and begins walking away. She glances back over her shoulder and waves Minnie towards her with another smile.

           She follows Robin down a dirt road leading the opposite direction of the town. It takes a little more than fifteen minutes of wandering through dense trees, but they eventually come to the other side of the small forest.

           “This is Whispering Pines farm.”

           The farm is…a mess, which is the nicer word for it. Branches and rocks are scattered across the ground, clusters of trees block her view of most of the farm, and whatever else she can see is overrun with tall grass and wildflowers. The house is in such obvious disrepair it causes physical pain in her heart. She wonders how long her grandfather had been bedridden for the farm to become this bad. Her heart clenches at the thought of him behind forced to watch his precious farm fade into this deteriorated state.

           “What’s the matter?” Robin laughs. Minnie raises a brow at the woman. “Sure, it’s a bit overgrown, but there’s good soil underneath that mess-” Robin nudges her arm with a quick wink, “-with a little dedication you’ll have it cleaned up in no time.”

           Minnie can’t help the roll of her eyes, but Robin takes it in jest. Robin makes a sweeping gesture as she steps towards the house. “And here we are, your new home!”

           Robin’s much too excited about this, Minnie decides, but her optimism is refreshing.

           “Ah, the new farmer!” Minnie turns to see a short, elderly man dressed in green and brown smile down at her as he emerges from the house. He walks down the steps and extends a hand towards her. Minnie takes it with a polite smile as the memories roll into her mind. “Welcome! I’m-”

           “Mayor Lewis, I remember,” Minnie speaks softly. She smiles in amusement seeing Lewis’s cheeks begin to turn a light pink as he releases her hand.

           “You know, everyone’s been asking about you. It’s not every day that someone new moves in. It’s quite a big deal!” Lewis smiles jovially. He gazes up at the house and sets his hands on his hips.

           “So…you’re moving into your grandfather’s old cottage,” he sighs, waves of sadness and fond memories rolling off him, “it’s a good house…very ‘rustic’.”

           “Rustic? That’s one way to put it…” Robin snickers, “‘Crusty’ might be a little more apt, though.” Lewis gasps at the carpenter’s laughter and Minnie gets the feeling he’s more offended than she is.

           “Don’t listen to her, Minerva. She’s just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades,” Lewis says, smugly watching Robin’s giggles quickly turn into a pout.

           “Anyway…” Lewis waves casually as he looks back at Minnie, “-you must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest. Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself. The townspeople would appreciate that.” Lewis claps her lightly on the shoulder. Minnie nods, adding that to her ever-growing ‘to-do’ list. Lewis gives a satisfied grin, more to himself than to her, and heads towards the road out of the farm.

           “Oh, I almost forgot!” He stops suddenly, whirling around to face her. He walks to a wooden box sitting a few feet from the house. “If you have anything to sell, just place it in this box here. I’ll come by during the night to collect it.” Minnie’s brows instantly scrunch together as her mouth slightly drops open. “Well, good luck!” Lewis waves, disappearing down the path a little faster than before.

           Minnie stands for a moment, her mind still trying to process Lewis’s odd request. She hears Robin’s laughter as the woman bumps her shoulder. “Welcome to the Valley.” With a cheeky grin, Robin follows Lewis down the path, leaving Minnie to her thoughts.

           She takes a deep breath, looking over the large farm. It’s going to take a while to get it somewhat back to normal, but she owes it to her grandfather to try and, honestly, she looks forward to the challenge. She can probably clear out most of the grass and branches tomorrow if she gets up early enough. She’ll also have to see what exactly needs to be fixed in the house. Then she should-

           She feels the chill crawl across her bones and all thoughts vacate her mind. The soft breeze returns, carrying her name through the trees towards the other side of the farm. Her feet move on their own, taking her through the overgrowth until she comes to what looks to previously have been a greenhouse. She waits, shutting her eyes to allow the breeze to call to her once more.

           It murmurs through her hair, guiding her further west into a large cluster of trees. She follows the breeze’s whisper beyond the trees where she finds a stone shrine half-embedded into the cliffside. The whispers gather in her ears as she approaches the shrine, slowly growing louder and louder. Minnie reaches out instinctively, pressing her palm against the shrine’s cool surface. The breeze disappears in an instant, taking its soft call with it.

           Minnie carefully looks over the shrine, examining its unreadable inscriptions and the four stone shelves that surround it. She reaches forward to wipe the dust from the inscriptions. A flash of blue fills her vision as a comforting warmth climbs from her toes to her surround her heart. She lets out an airy laugh, stepping back from the shrine and placing a hand on her chest.

           “Hi grandpa,” she breathes, “don’t worry, I’m going to fix this. I’m going to make you proud, I promise.”

 

 


End file.
